Rwanda Strengthens Mental Health Support (MHPSS) for Adolescents
Rwanda has taken a major step toward strengthening its support for mental health of young people after concluding a ten-day Training of Trainers on the Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) intervention, organised in partnership with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), in Rwanda.
Globally, up to 20% of adolescents face mental health challenges, with nearly half of lifelong conditions beginning before age 14. In Rwanda, preventive, skills-based interventions are essential to safeguard the nation’s human capital.
Through this training, mental health professionals from district and teaching hospitals, the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), civil society, and other key institutions are now able to deliver and supervise EASE, creating a network of national multipliers who will expand support across schools and communities.
The Training of Trainers approach reflects Rwanda’s strategic vision of integrating mental health services into primary-level systems, ensuring sustainability, and sharing expertise across sectors.
The true measure of success and impact will be seen in the quality of supervision, adherence to the model, and the scale-up of EASE to districts nationwide, empowering adolescents with resilience and improving educational outcomes.
Implementing this model is investing in a healthy, productive, and empowered generation,” the agency said, underscoring the long-term importance of mental health for Rwanda’s youth.
This article was developed based on the initial insights of Samson D pubished on LinkedIn. He is the Chief of Health, Nutrition and ECD at UNICEF Rwanda
